Ben Vallimarescu

Sidley Austin is continuing to build up its roster of trade expertise in Washington, D.C., announcing this week the arrival of a partner and two associates from A&O Shearman. Maura Rezendes, who was at A&O for just under a dozen years, and was most recently U.S. head of sanctions, has joined Sidley’s global arbitration, trade and advocacy practice as a partner. The move comes shortly after the firm brought on John Foote as a partner in the same practice group, arriving from Kelley Drye & Warren. And just as the easiest way to describe Foote’s job is as a “tariffs lawyer,” Rezendes described herself as a sanctions lawyer. That means counseling financial institutions and companies on “anything and everything related to U.S. economic sanctions,” as primarily administered and enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control within the Treasury Department, Rezendes said in an interview Wednesday. Rezendes helps with both litigation and transactions, helping clients navigate internal or government investigations related to apparent sanctions violations, or licensing issues, and works hand-in-hand with M&A or banking lawyers to help clients think about or adjust to economic sanctions risk in deals, for instance. She said Sidley presented the opportunity to work on a “full-spectrum, multidimensional trade practice,” with other practitioners who have specialties in different aspects of trade, like tariffs, imports, or export controls. The firm’s global arbitration, trade and advocacy group is a Chambers Band 1 practice in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and Rezendes said the firm has an “unmatched’ understanding of how to deploy regulatory specialists across the firm. “They deeply understand the integration across both geographies and practice groups, to embed people like me into the wider firm,” she said. She said sanctions has always been a hot topic, and the Trump administration’s attempt to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act—typically a sanctions-based statute, Rezendes said—to implement a wide range of tariffs puts the topic at the forefront now more than ever. But, she added, clients will seek counsel from practitioners in this space “whichever direction the wind blows.” “Whether it’s relaxation of certain sanctions targeting Russia or China or Venezuela, or escalation of sanctions targeting Iran or other global actors, our clients always need very sophisticated, substantive advice, around any movement, in whatever direction,” she said. “Either it’s thinking about new business opportunities that didn’t previously exist, or de-risking out of particular jurisdictions, or respect to particular counterparties in the face of enhanced sanctions, our team and expertise will be in high demand whatever direction things move.” The associates joining Rezendes are Ben Vallimarescu and James Daher, the firm stated. "We thank Maura for the contribution she has made to the firm and wish her all the best for the future," an A&O Shearman spokesperson said. Kristin Graham Koehler, managing partner for Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office, said the office is now around 300 lawyers total and is constantly on the lookout to build up its bench in regulatory and litigation practices, in particular. But the main focus is on getting exceptional talent, she said. “With Maura and John’s additions, we are continuing to grow here in D.C., and what we’re looking for is just exceptional talent,” Koehler said. Rezendes, she added, “is exceptional in the economic sanctions and trade space. That is exactly what we’re looking for.”

Oct 16

2 min

Sidley represented The Brink’s Company (NYSE: BCO) in its acquisition of NCR Atleos Corporation (NYSE: NATL) in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately US$6.6 billion. The deal combines two leading financial technology infrastructure providers, bringing together Brink’s global cash management expertise and route-based infrastructure with NCR Atleos’ end-to-end ATM management and services expertise, ATM network, and fast-growing ATM-as-a-Service outsourcing solutions. Sidley served as both transaction and financing counsel to Brink’s in the transaction. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to customary closing conditions. The Sidley team was led by David Grubman, Adam Cromie, George Hunter, and Dustin Page (M&A), and included Lisa Holzman, Evan Kowalski, Jordan Lemoine, and David Hoff (M&A); Angela Fontana, Tracey Nicastro, Caroline Roberts, and Alexander Waddell (Global Finance); Sonia Gupta Barros, Alexander Csordas, Samir Gandhi, and Kayla West (Capital Markets); Suresh Advani, Christian Brause, Eric Grosshandler, and Patrick Gray (Tax); Gregory Marrs, Elizabeth Burns, and Steven Szymanski (Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation); Corey Roush, Murray Reeve, and Anna Kubinska (Antitrust and Competition); Sven De Knop, Alessandra Moroni, James Daher, and Laura Verbeken (Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy); Stanley Boris and Matthew Katz (Banking, Payments and Fintech); Colleen Brown and Stephanie Lim (Privacy and Cybersecurity); Heather Palmer (Environmental, Health, and Safety); Natalie Piazza, Vishnu Tirumala, Melissa Gerdts, Amber Otto, Chetan Reddy, and Shannon McDonald (Commercial Litigation and Disputes); and Derek Zaba (Shareholder Activism & Corporate Defense).

Feb 26

1 min

Washington, D.C. – Sidley is pleased to announce that Maura Rezendes has joined the firm’s Global Arbitration, Trade & Advocacy practice in Sidley’s office in Washington, D.C. Ms. Rezendes joins from A&O Shearman, where she served as U.S. Head of Sanctions. Associates Ben Vallimarescu and James Daher from Maura’s team also recently joined the firm. The Firm’s Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy practice is a Chambers Band 1 practice in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Ms. Rezendes advises financial institutions and corporate clients on a wide range of matters implicating economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Her practice includes regulatory compliance advice and counseling, transactional support, investigations and enforcement, as well as frequent agency-facing work before OFAC in connection with licensing, enforcement, regulatory approvals, and other related matters. Ms. Rezendes formerly served as a chief in OFAC’s Office of Enforcement where she led investigations of potential violations of OFAC-administered economic sanctions and pursued enforcement actions in cases related to international finance and trade. “Maura’s credibility with regulators and global businesses, many of whom are already significant Sidley clients, truly enhances Sidley’s standing as a leader in international trade,” said Yvette Ostolaza, Management Committee Chair. “Maura will collaborate closely with our partners to provide clients with transactional, investigative, and enforcement support across industries and markets. We are excited for her to be reunited with several former colleagues in multiple offices that have joined Sidley including Alun Evans, Chris Jackson, Barbara Stettner, C. Wallace Dewitt and Luke Maiman.” “Maura’s deep experience and impressive market profile in economic sanctions will help us serve some of the most urgent needs of our clients,” said Kristin Graham Koehler, managing partner of Sidley’s Washington, D.C., office and a member of the firm’s Management Committee and Executive Committee. “Maura’s experience from her time at OFAC, combined with her hands-on counseling, deal and enforcement experience, will further strengthen Sidley’s ability to serve trade clients from every angle.” This addition comes on the heels of partner John Foote joining Sidley’s industry leading international trade practice earlier this month. Sidley is “Built to Win” at each stage of the litigation process and counts more than 750 litigators worldwide. With true geographic reach, the firm can field winning litigation teams in virtually any forum where its clients find themselves facing a dispute. Sidley is an elite global law firm. With approximately 2,300 lawyers and nearly 160 years of experience, we have established a reputation for deploying innovative legal strategies to achieve powerful results for our clients in complex transactional, restructuring, crisis management, investigation, regulatory, and litigation matters. Our perspective and reach are truly global, supported by 21 offices strategically situated in key commercial, regulatory, and financial centers across the world. Our lawyers and business professionals, fluent in more than 75 languages, possess the cultural awareness and cross-border legal acumen needed to bring clarity to a dynamic business landscape. Matt Messinger, Director, Public Relations, +1 312 456 4009 (Global) Attorney Advertising—Sidley Austin LLP is a global law firm. Our addresses and contact information can be found at www.sidley.com/en/locations/offices. Sidley and Sidley Austin refer to Sidley Austin LLP and affiliated partnerships as explained at www.sidley.com/disclaimer. Washington, D.C. – Sidley is pleased to announce that Maura Rezendes has joined the firm’s Global Arbitration, Trade & Advocacy practice in Sidley’s office in Washington, D.C. Ms. Rezendes joins from A&O Shearman, where she served as U.S. Head of Sanctions. Associates Ben Vallimarescu and James Daher from Maura’s team also recently joined the firm. The Firm’s Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy practice is a Chambers Band 1 practice in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Ms. Rezendes advises financial institutions and corporate clients on a wide range of matters implicating economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Her practice includes regulatory compliance advice and counseling, transactional support, investigations and enforcement, as well as frequent agency-facing work before OFAC in connection with licensing, enforcement, regulatory approvals, and other related matters. Ms. Rezendes formerly served as a chief in OFAC’s Office of Enforcement where she led investigations of potential violations of OFAC-administered economic sanctions and pursued enforcement actions in cases related to international finance and trade. “Maura’s credibility with regulators and global businesses, many of whom are already significant Sidley clients, truly enhances Sidley’s standing as a leader in international trade,” said Yvette Ostolaza, Management Committee Chair. “Maura will collaborate closely with our partners to provide clients with transactional, investigative, and enforcement support across industries and markets. We are excited for her to be reunited with several former colleagues in multiple offices that have joined Sidley including Alun Evans, Chris Jackson, Barbara Stettner, C. Wallace Dewitt and Luke Maiman.” “Maura’s deep experience and impressive market profile in economic sanctions will help us serve some of the most urgent needs of our clients,” said Kristin Graham Koehler, managing partner of Sidley’s Washington, D.C., office and a member of the firm’s Management Committee and Executive Committee. “Maura’s experience from her time at OFAC, combined with her hands-on counseling, deal and enforcement experience, will further strengthen Sidley’s ability to serve trade clients from every angle.” This addition comes on the heels of partner John Foote joining Sidley’s industry leading international trade practice earlier this month. Sidley is “Built to Win” at each stage of the litigation process and counts more than 750 litigators worldwide. With true geographic reach, the firm can field winning litigation teams in virtually any forum where its clients find themselves facing a dispute. Sidley is an elite global law firm. With approximately 2,300 lawyers and nearly 160 years of experience, we have established a reputation for deploying innovative legal strategies to achieve powerful results for our clients in complex transactional, restructuring, crisis management, investigation, regulatory, and litigation matters. Our perspective and reach are truly global, supported by 21 offices strategically situated in key commercial, regulatory, and financial centers across the world. Our lawyers and business professionals, fluent in more than 75 languages, possess the cultural awareness and cross-border legal acumen needed to bring clarity to a dynamic business landscape. Matt Messinger, Director, Public Relations, +1 312 456 4009 (Global) Attorney Advertising—Sidley Austin LLP is a global law firm. Our addresses and contact information can be found at www.sidley.com/en/locations/offices. Sidley and Sidley Austin refer to Sidley Austin LLP and affiliated partnerships as explained at www.sidley.com/disclaimer.

Oct 15

5 min

Auction site eBay and several former executives on Wednesday reported settling a lawsuit brought by a Massachusetts couple who say they were subjected to a campaign of stalking and harassment after publishing articles critical of the company's leadership on their blog. The terms of the settlement, reached just days before what had been expected to be a six-week trial in federal court was set to get underway, were not disclosed. David and Ina Steiner, who publish EcommerceBytes from their suburban Boston home, found themselves on the receiving end of a series of gruesome mailings — including insects, a bloody pig mask, and a funeral wreath — and were stalked by eBay employees in 2019. The couple had reported on spending by then-CEO Devin Wenig and alleged he and other executives directed a campaign of retaliation aimed at shutting down their site. The Steiners sued over the episode in 2021, saying they suffered significant emotional distress as well as damage to their business. They are still publishing the blog, which last week reported on the retail and auction site's test of an artificial intelligence tool. An attorney for Wenig, Martin Weinberg, told Law360 on Wednesday the parties had reached an agreement in principle to resolve the case. The agreement is expected to be finalized within 60 days. Along with eBay and Wenig, the Steiners' lawsuit named communications director Steven Wymer and vice president Wendy Jones. Counsel for the other defendants and eBay did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for eBay directed a reporter to an order entering a provisional dismissal of the case. Several lower-level employees who had also been named in the suit were dismissed as defendants on Wednesday, according to the case docket. Federal prosecutors also brought criminal charges against seven lower-level employees — who have since pled guilty to their roles in the harassment and received varying sentences — and charged eBay as a corporate defendant. The company entered a deferred prosecution agreement with the government in 2024 that led to a $3 million penalty. Last week, the executives, in a motion, sought to prevent the Steiners from citing that agreement in support of their case. The Steiners and Steiner Associates LLC/eCommerceBytes are represented by Andrew G. Finkelstein, Brian D. Acard, Kenneth B. Fromson, and Lawrence D. Lissauer of Finkelstein & Partners LLP, Marc A. Diller of Diller Law LLP, Christopher R. Murphy of Foster Scalli & Murphy Law PC, Todd S. Garber and Erin Kelley of Finkelstein Blankinship Frei-Pearson & Garber LLP, and Max Finkelstein of Jacoby & Meyers LLP. EBay is represented by Jack W. Pirozzolo, Kathryn L. Alessi, Scott T. Nonaka, Daniel J. Feith, and Emily A. Rose of Sidley Austin LLP. Wenig is represented by Martin G. Weinberg of Martin G. Weinberg PC, Abbe David Lowell of Lowell & Associates PLLC, and Kelly A. Librera of Winston & Strawn LLP. Wymer is represented by Caz Hashemi, Melissa Mills, and Trevor Templeton of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC and Lon F. Povich of Anderson & Kreiger LLP. Jones is represented by Andrew J. O'Connor, Casey Stewart, Christopher Durham, Sarah E. Walters, and William L. Roberts of Ropes & Gray LLP. The case is Steiner et al. v. eBay Inc. et al., case number 1:21-cv-11181, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Feb 25

3 min

Sidley Austin is continuing to build up its roster of trade expertise in Washington, D.C., announcing this week the arrival of a partner and two associates from A&O Shearman. Maura Rezendes, who was at A&O for just under a dozen years, and was most recently U.S. head of sanctions, has joined Sidley’s global arbitration, trade and advocacy practice as a partner. The move comes shortly after the firm brought on John Foote as a partner in the same practice group, arriving from Kelley Drye & Warren. And just as the easiest way to describe Foote’s job is as a “tariffs lawyer,” Rezendes described herself as a sanctions lawyer. That means counseling financial institutions and companies on “anything and everything related to U.S. economic sanctions,” as primarily administered and enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control within the Treasury Department, Rezendes said in an interview Wednesday. Rezendes helps with both litigation and transactions, helping clients navigate internal or government investigations related to apparent sanctions violations, or licensing issues, and works hand-in-hand with M&A or banking lawyers to help clients think about or adjust to economic sanctions risk in deals, for instance. She said Sidley presented the opportunity to work on a “full-spectrum, multidimensional trade practice,” with other practitioners who have specialties in different aspects of trade, like tariffs, imports, or export controls. The firm’s global arbitration, trade and advocacy group is a Chambers Band 1 practice in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and Rezendes said the firm has an “unmatched’ understanding of how to deploy regulatory specialists across the firm. “They deeply understand the integration across both geographies and practice groups, to embed people like me into the wider firm,” she said. She said sanctions has always been a hot topic, and the Trump administration’s attempt to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act—typically a sanctions-based statute, Rezendes said—to implement a wide range of tariffs puts the topic at the forefront now more than ever. But, she added, clients will seek counsel from practitioners in this space “whichever direction the wind blows.” “Whether it’s relaxation of certain sanctions targeting Russia or China or Venezuela, or escalation of sanctions targeting Iran or other global actors, our clients always need very sophisticated, substantive advice, around any movement, in whatever direction,” she said. “Either it’s thinking about new business opportunities that didn’t previously exist, or de-risking out of particular jurisdictions, or respect to particular counterparties in the face of enhanced sanctions, our team and expertise will be in high demand whatever direction things move.” The associates joining Rezendes are Ben Vallimarescu and James Daher, the firm stated. "We thank Maura for the contribution she has made to the firm and wish her all the best for the future," an A&O Shearman spokesperson said. Kristin Graham Koehler, managing partner for Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office, said the office is now around 300 lawyers total and is constantly on the lookout to build up its bench in regulatory and litigation practices, in particular. But the main focus is on getting exceptional talent, she said. “With Maura and John’s additions, we are continuing to grow here in D.C., and what we’re looking for is just exceptional talent,” Koehler said. Rezendes, she added, “is exceptional in the economic sanctions and trade space. That is exactly what we’re looking for.”

Oct 15

2 min